Washing device



June 7, 1966 J. J. M CARTHY 3,254,514

WASHING DEVICE Filed Nov. 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JOHN J. McCARTHY BY 9:". Wam

ATTORNEYS June 7, 1966 J. J. M CARTHY 3,254,514

WASHING DEVICE Filed Nov. 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS United States Patent WASHING DEVICE John J. McCarthy, 15000 Madison Ava,

' Lakewood 7, Ohio Filed Nov. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 323,971 7 Claims. (Cl. 68-213) This in a continuation-impart of my copending application, Serial No. 204,318, which issued March 3, 1964, as Patent No. 3,122,909.

This invention relates to laundry equipment, and more particularly to a device which enables the person to launder light fabrics at 21 sink or basin and which protects the hands from direct contact with hot water and/or strong detergent solutions.

It is common practice in many instances to launder a few items of clothing by hand in a sink or basin. In these instances, the size of the wash load does not justify the use of a conventional washing machine and it is inconvenient and expensive to send the washing to a commercial laundering establishment.

Furthermore, many modern fabrics and'woolen articles such as socks and sweaters cannot be machine lanudered because of inherent characteristics such as shrinkage and fading. These articles are usually laundered in a cool or lukewarm detergent solution by gently pressing the article so that the detergent willcontact the fibers of the fabric. Washing machines, and particularly automatic washing machines, cannot perform these operations because of the relatively violent agitating action during the washing and rinsing cycles of these machines.

The usual procedure followed in washing small laundry loads in a sink or basin is to immerse the hands into the detergent solution and press the solution through the clothes. This technique is objectionable, if not dangerous in many instances, since many detergents are allergenic to some people and produce dermatological reactions.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for laundering light fabrics at a sink or basin which enables the person to wash and rise fabrics without submersing his hands in detergent solutions.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a lightweight device for laundering fabrics at a sink or basin that may be easily and conveniently packed in a valise or overnight case for traveling.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a device which may be converted from a container into a device for laundering fabrics after the container has been emptied.

Other objects, features, and advantage-s of the invention will become apparent and more fully understood from the following detailed, description of the invention and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a container according to this invention which may be converted into a washing device;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the container shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, sectionalview of the container, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 33 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an elevational View of the container converted for use as a laundering device.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGURES 1 through 3, a container is illustrated The container 10 is a hollow cylindrical container and may be formed of a stiflly, flexible plastic material, such as polyethylene or the like. The container 10 has a pleated sidewall 11, a bottom end portion 12, and an outwardly, flaring, upper end portion 13. The upper end portion 13 slopes downwardly and inwardly from an annular shoulder portion 14 to a cylindrical neck 15. The container 10 may hold a'liquid dishwashing detergent and may be provided with a discharge orifice 16 and a cap-17 at the upper end of the neck 15.

The downwardly and inwardly sloping portion is provided with a serrulated groove 18. The groove 18 provides a thinned, frangible zone of separation between the neck 15 and the shoulder portion 14. After the contents of the container have been used the neck 15 is removed from the container by pulling the neck axially, outwardly from the container. The removal of the neck provides a multiplicity of fingers 19 that extend from the shoulder portion 14.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, a hand operated washing device is illustrated, and this device is constructed from the empty container 10. The pleated sidewall 11 and the end portions 12 constitute a hollow operating handle which may be collapsed by axial pressure on the end portion 12. The pleated sidewall 11 is sufficiently flexible to spring back to the shape illustrated in FIG- URE 4 when this axial pressure is no longer applied.

The portion 13, the annular shoulder 14, and the fingers 19 comprise an agitating cup 20. The agitating cup 20 extend-s downwardly and outwardly from the pleated sidewall 11.

An impervious sleeve 21 surrounds the operating handle and is fixed to the juncture between the agitating cup 20 and the pleated sidewall 11 by an O-ring 22 which provides a fluid-type sealing relationship between the sleeve 21 and the operating handle.

In operation, soiled fabrics are placed in a suitable sink or basin and the desired amount of detergent'and hot water are added. The operator then inserts an arm through an opening 21a in the impervious sleeve 21 and then grasps the end portion 12. The sleeve 21 is preferably fabricated from a flexible water-proof material such as plastic so that the device may be conveniently packed in a valise or overnight case for traveling. The impervious sleeve 21 preferably extends up to the elbow to not only protect the operators hand from contact with the wash water and detergents but also to permit the operator to use the device Without rolling up his sleeves and/or removing his wrist watch.

The agitating cup 20 is repeatedly pressed against the soiled clothing. This pressure causes the pleated sidewall 11 to collapse and causes water, detergent, and/ or air to be driven to the soiled clothing.

The washing action of the device is enhanced by the fingers 19 since a portion of the water, detergent, and/ or air is forced through the relatively small openings between the fingers 19, and form a multiplicity of high pressure jets which drive the foreign matter out of the surrounding fabrics. The fingers 19 also serve to brush particularly soiled areas of the fabrics and prevent a vacuum from forming within the agitating cup 20, if the cup 20 is forced against the wall of the sink or basin.

When the soiled clothing has been thoroughly washed, the wash water is drained and rinse water is admitted to the sink or basin. To insure a rapid rinse, the device is again employed to drive the clear rinse water through the fabrics and remove all traces of the detergent.

In the'light of the above teachings, many other modifications and variations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood,

therefore, that within the scope of the appended claims Patented June 7, 1966 from one end of said sidewall portion to form a top shoulder on said container and then inwardly from said shoulder to form a cylindrical neck portion, means defining a thin, frangible zone of separation between said neck portion and said shoulder portion, said sidewall having a multiplicity of circumferentialpleats and being formed from a stilfly flexible material, and a flexible, impervious sleeve fixed to the juncture between the sidewall and the top closure assembly.

2. A laundry device comprising a body having a hollow, cylindrical handle portion and an agitating cup portion extending outwardly from one end of said handle portion, said handle portion having a multiplicity of circumferential pleats and being formed from a stiflly flexible material so that said handle portion will collapse axially from an extended position upon the application of the axial pressure thereto and return to its extended position when said axial pressure is no longer applied, said agitating cup portion having relatively short finger portions on its bottom surface, said finger portions adapted upon such axial collapse of the handle portion simultaneously to serve as scrubbing appendages and to define pressure jets, both functions serving as laundry aids to said device.

3. A laundry device comprising a body having a hollow, cylindrical handle portion and an agitating cup portion extending outwardly from one end of said handle portion, said handle portion having a multiplicity of circumferential pleats and being formed from a stiflly flexible material so that said handle portion will collapse axially from an extended position upon the application of the axial pressure thereto and return to its extended position when said axial pressure is no longer applied, said agitating cup portion having a multiplicity of closely spaced, flexible fingers extending downwardly from the mouth of said cup, said fingers being short relative to the axial dimension of the cup portion and of sufiicient rigidity to define scrubbing elements, said fingers further forming pressure jets therebet'ween during axial collapse of the handle portion thereby to enhance the washing action of said laundry device.

4. A container for use as a laundry device comprising a body having a hollow, cylindrical sidewall and a top closure assembly portion flaring axially and outwardly from one end of said sidewall portion to form a top shoulder on said container and then inwardly from said shoulder to form a cylindrical neck portion, means defining a thin, frangible zone of separation between said neck portion and said shoulder portion, said sidewall having a multiplicity of circumferential pleats and being formed from a stifliy flexible material.

5. A container for use as a laundry device comprising a body having a hollow, cylindrical sidewall and a top closure assembly portion extending from one end of said sidewall radially inwardly to form a neck portion, means defining a thin, frangible zone of separation between said neck portion and said sidewall end, said sidewall having a multiplicity of circumferential pleats and being formed from a stiflly flexible material, and a flexible, impervious sleeve coaxially fixed to said sidewall and extending away from said top closure assembly portion.

6. A container for use as a laundry device comprising a hollow body having a longitudinallyextending sidewall and a closure assembly portion extending from an end of said sidewall radially inwardly, means defining a thin, frangible zone of separation in said closure assembly portion to form a break-away part thereof, said sidewall having a multiplicity of circumferential pleats and being formed from a stiffly flexible material.

7. The container of claim 6 wherein said thin, frangible zone of separation comprises a closed zig-zag line ef- Ective to leave a serrated edge upon removal of said break-away part, said serrated edge having resulting teeth adapted to provide a multiplicity of pressure jets therebetween upon axial contraction of the container when used as said laundry device, thereby enhancing the washing action thereof and simultaneously preventing a vacuum seal about said end of the sidewall.

Reterences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 116,525 6/1871 Witsil 68-215 1,864,467 6/1932 Phillips 68216 2,231,046 2/1941 Woodson 68215 FOREIGN PATENTS 775,340 10/1934 France. 1,110,104 10/1955 France. 1,146,596 5/1957 France. 1,109,637 6/1961 Germany.

IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Examiner. 

6. A CONTAINER FOR USE AS A LAUNDRY DEVICE COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDEWALL AND A CLOSURE ASSEMBLY PORTION EXTENDING FROM AN END OF SAID SIDEWALL RADIALLY INWARDLY, MEANS DEFINING A THIN, FRANGIBLE ZONE OF SEPARATION IN SAID CLOSURE ASSEMBLY POR- 